Secretary Raimondo meets with Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China Wentao

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo today met with Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China Wang Wentao to advance U.S. commercial and strategic interests. The meeting was part of ongoing efforts to deliver on President Biden’s directive following his meeting with President Xi in November 2022 to deepen bilateral discussions.

Secretary Raimondo emphasized the importance of ensuring open lines of communication between the United States and China and took concrete steps to deliver on that goal. Secretary Raimondo and Minister Wang agreed to:

• Establish a new commercial issues working group, a consultation mechanism involving U.S. and PRC government officials and private sector representatives to seek solutions on trade and investment issues and to advance U.S. commercial interests in China. They agreed that the working group will meet twice annually at the Vice Minister level, with the U.S. hosting the first meeting in early 2024.
• Launch the export control enforcement information exchange, which will serve as a platform to reduce misunderstanding of U.S. national security policies. The first in-person meeting will occur at the Assistant Secretary level at the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing on Tuesday, August 29.
• Convene subject matter experts from both sides to hold technical discussions regarding strengthening the protection of trade secrets and confidential business information during administrative licensing proceedings.
• Communicate regularly at the Secretary and Minister level about commercial and economic issues and to meet in-person at least once annually.

Secretary Raimondo discussed opportunities to promote economic exchange where it aligns with U.S. interests and values. She underscored the importance of leveling the playing field for U.S. workers and businesses and ensuring the fair and transparent treatment of U.S. companies in China. Finally, Secretary Raimondo reinforced the Administration’s commitment to taking actions necessary to protect U.S. national security and reiterated the Administration’s “small yard, high fence” approach, underscoring that export controls are narrowly targeted at technologies that have clear national security or human rights impacts and are not about containing China’s economic growth.